People Should Never Be Forgotten
by BobWhite
Summary: New passenger on the ship. Pls R&R 2 find out more. Full summary inside.
1. River of Gold

**Full Summary:**

Taken as a little girl, River Gold has always known a life of hurt. She has never been able to get away from the people that took her in the first place. What happens when she hides away on Serenity? Will River find her? And how does the rest of the crew take to the stowaway?

**River of Gold:**

**Taken:**

I was playing in the park with some other kids. My nanny was watching me and then the sky went black. All of us looked up and saw the moon over the sun. On my home planet, it is 325 days a year sunshine and 40 days of darkness. It was more or less the last time I ever saw my family again. During the dark day, a man who wasn't watching the moon walked up behind me, put his hand on my shoulder and whispered into my ear. He said that if I screamed, he would go to my house and kill everyone I loved and cared about. I said nothing as he dragged me away from my nanny. I saw the other kids around me turning away from the black sky and look towards where I was being pushed into a small cargo ship. The kids were making such a noise that the adults started noticing.

My nanny never had time to scream my name as the man got into the cargo ship with me and the ship disappeared into the darkened day. The FEDs were called but they could not find me or the cargo ship. I waited to be rescued for nearly two months before giving up hope that I would ever see my family and beloved friends again. I was six years old when they took me, they have had me ever since.

**Ten Years Later:**

I learned quick how to fend for myself. The people that took me weren't technically mean to me but they weren't nice either. We had left my home planet two months after they took me so as not to attract any FEDs to the fact that they were the ones that took me in the first place. A ransom had been demanded and my parents had paid but I had not been given back. The FEDs did find the body of a little girl too badly injured to get an ID. My parents buried that little girl thinking she was me because even though they had paid the ransom, they still hadn't gotten me back alive. Unfortunately, I was very much alive.

Over the years, I gathered seeds in separate bags and marked what they were and soil in a plastic box so that if I ever did get away from my captors, I would have some way of feeding myself. I also managed to get ahold of a substantial amount of the ransom that my real parents had paid to them. They never even knew it was missing because they didn't count it at all. I had enough provisions to last at least three months if I was careful with my stored food and money. I was getting ready to leave; I just needed the right ship to stow away on.

I went daily to my favorite spot on the planet, a river that had turned gold the first day I stumbled upon it. They left me alone when it came to my wandering around the planet. The Reavers didn't journey to this side of the planet because it was too cold for them, so I was left to wander around, looking for anything that I could take with me. I had built a small shelter for whenever I spent the night away from my captors. I always called them my captors because it was what they were and I had never warmed up to them. I had been slowing moving belongings from the house in town to the shelter I had built. My seeds and box of soil were together near the door, my bow and arrows were next to the door as well. I had a huge metal container that I stored nearly everything in and would use it to get onto the ship I was aiming to stowaway on.

I had a cache of weapons: from knives and swords, to guns and ammo, bows and arrows, and a few grenades that I snitched off of a few dead FEDs that had journeyed the wrong way and gotten themselves fed upon by the Reavers. I was always tinkering with something and had managed to make a portable floating sled, which I was going to use to put my metal container on. I would use the weapons whenever I needed to and against anyone if the time came. And it was almost about time to leave this moon behind and make my way out in space.

But would anyone notice that I was even gone? Would my captors come after me once they found out that I was gone for good?


	2. Stowaway, Or Not

**Stowaway, Or Not:**

**Trading Port:**

I had packed everything up in the metal container and onto the flying sled. I had tied a rope intertwined with vines to the front of the rope and had walked towards the Trading Ports. If I was going to find a ship off this moon, then it would need to be unguarded. I didn't think they would mind if I had some kind of way of supporting myself while on the ship. The first four ships I came upon were all heavily guarded and didn't look like I could get on it worth a crank. I kept going. When I came upon the Firefly class ship, I stopped and saw only a young looking woman guarding the entrance. She moved to me before I could do anything.

"You're going to join us."  
>"What makes you say that?"<br>"You ain't looking at the crew; you're looking at the ship. Besides, we could use another girl on this ship if you get my drift."  
>"I get your drift. How much to board?"<br>"We're only looking for passengers that can pay throughout wherever it is you're going."  
>"I can pay. I can also do whatever you need me to do. I'm pretty handy with growing things. And I'm a good hunter too."<br>"Well, then you'll fit right on with us. Come on; let's get your things on board. My name is Kaylee by the way. What's yours?"  
>"River, River Gold, but some people like calling me the River of Gold for some reason."<br>"River huh, we have another girl here with your name. Maybe she'll even let you talk with her. Unless you don't talk that much?"

"I talk, but only when it is deemed necessary. This sort of blows my plan out the window."  
>"What kind of plan was that?"<br>"To become a stowaway without anyone knowing I was even here. But I have way too much stuff to stowaway now."  
>"And you woulda been found right out and most likely booted off the ship. We make sure we ain't carrying any unwanted folk before leaving port."<br>"Good to know I guess. You want to help me get this stuff on board?"  
>"Sure, the captain and everyone should be back soon. Then the captain will lay down the rules and everything. You should be happy; this is the first time in a long time we've taken on passengers. We haven't had the space to take on any passengers in a long time. Come on; let's get your stuff in the cargo bay."<p>

We moved into the cargo area with me pulling the sled. Kaylee showed me where I could put my stuff and once I had the sled backed up to where it couldn't move, I pressed a button and the sled settled on the ground, no more flying was necessary at the moment. Kaylee helped me unpack some of my belongings, mostly some clothes, my money and the box of soil and seeds then showed me to where I would be staying for the time being. I kept one gun on me, hidden in the small of back under my coat so that I would at least have some protection if these people should try to hurt me in any way. But I had a feeling that these people could be trusted, for the time being.

When we came back out, towards the cargo area, the rest of the crew was back on board. Kaylee spoke first.

"Captain, this is River Gold. She's our new passenger. She was the only one that seemed to be looking to get off this moon."  
>"River huh? The doc's sister is named River."<br>"So I am told. I was also told that you would be setting out the rules and guidelines that I am to follow."  
>"How old are you girl?" <em>a tall looking man with short hair asked. <em>  
>"And you would be?"<br>"The name is Jane, Jane Cobb."  
>"It is nice to meet you Mr. Cobb. I am sixteen years old yesterday to be exact. I'm tired of living on this rock and need to get the hell off as quick as can be."<br>"Running from someone are ye?"  
>"Something like that."<p>

"Sorry, but we don't need the law on our rear hinds anymore then we do. Collect your things and get off the boat."  
>"If you're worried that someone will come looking for me, don't. The people that I have been living with for the past ten years ain't my real family. Hell if I don't return they'll figure the FEDs finally found out where they took me and grabbed me first. They won't come looking for me, trust me."<br>"You was took from your real family?"  
>"Yes, about ten years ago. They demanded a ransom and even though my folks paid, they gave them their dead little girl in exchange for the money. My parents were told it was me, but because they had disfigured her face, they had no way of knowing that it wasn't me. They buried that little girl thinking she was me. I aim on getting back there soon, just have to find the right moon and then I'll let the FEDs know where they can find my captors and all that fun stuff."<br>"What do you have to pay with?" _a dark skinned woman asked._  
>"And you would be?"<br>"The name is Zoe Washington; this here is my husband Wash, that there is the doc Simon Tam and his sister River Tam, next to the captain is Inara and next to her is Sheppard Book."  
>"It is nice to meet you all. I was able to get my hands on almost the whole ransom my folks paid my captors to get me back. They won't report it stolen seeing as the only reason they had it was cause they kidnapped me. If they were smart, they'd leave well enough alone and figure I finally got away from them. They won't come looking for me cause they know if they do and they get caught, the Alliance will throw them to Catorina."<br>"What is Catorina?"  
>"It's a planet that the Alliance has set up a prison on for the worst of the worst criminals. It's…well let's just say that if you stay in the sun to long, you will melt into a puddle of human jelly. I have a dictionary if you want to look up the rock."<br>"No thanks, how about we get off of this rock for good then. We don't have any business here anymore anyways. And if we do find your parents and you want to stay on, that's all fine and dandy too. What are your skills, just to be asking?"  
>"I'm a pretty good hunter and I have a plastic box that I'm using as sort of a greenhouse. I have enough seeds of different plants and all to grow into a pretty good garden, that's if you have a place to designate to growing a garden on your ship and all."<br>"We'll see what we can do for you. In the meantime, Wash let's get Serenity in the air and away from here. I'm sure you've been shown your quarters already."  
>"Yes, Kaylee was nice enough to show me where I would be staying."<br>"Good, now, let's get out of the way of the door so we can shut it and let's get off this rock, shall we."

**Serenity: Day One:**

I smiled and followed Kaylee back towards my room. I showed her the box and seeds that I was talking about and she smiled. Some of the seeds were already planted and had already begun to grow. She touched a few of the flowers on the seeds and smiled. With any luck, the first of the seeds would be done growing within a month or so, depending on if I could keep them alive. If not, I would have to revert back to what I used to do, which is hunt down some good ole meat that anyone on the ship would probably be happy to eat. The next thing I showed Kaylee was the stock of food that I had brought with me. Her eyes grew wide when she saw the strawberries. She laughed as I gave her one. It seemed to be her favorite food when one could get their hands on them.

She showed me to the galley where we put the food preserves that I had brought with me on the counter. We moved through them selecting what we would make for that night's dinner. I pulled out the dried meat and bags of lettuce and potatoes as well as some dried pineapple and some herbs that I could use to make a salad to go with the dinner. Next I pulled out the packaged bread and some canned jelly. That would be tonight's dinner. Kaylee helped me put the rest away for now. We put the fresh fruit in bowls and then put them in the middle of the table. That's about the time Inara, Simon and River walked in. They nodded to me and said hello to Kaylee, who smiled back. She was too excited to have so much fresh food that she couldn't say anything. River grabbed an orange from the middle of table and smelled it as if she hadn't had one before. Simon came over and grabbed a peeler from the kitchen and peeled the orange for River.

"You know, were going to have to figure out what to call you know that there are two River's on board Serenity." _Inara said. _  
>"You can call me Goldy. The place I normally went to escape everyday life was a place I called the River of Gold. I found enough gold nuggets in it and kept them to myself. In fact, they are one of the things I have stored in the cargo area in my giant metal box. I planned on selling them when I got on a ship and once the ship stopped somewhere. I basically cleared out the river of the gold that was in it. Think the captain will mind stopping in a mining town so that I can hawk my wears?"<br>"I don't think he'll mind, but you'll have to ask him yourself. He's not too keen on listening to most of us. So what are you and Kaylee making for dinner?"  
>"I've got some dried meat that I can re-hydrate with some mashed potatoes, garlic bread and salad and whatever fruit is on the table. By the way, you're welcome to dig into the fruit, once I get the seeds started growing; we should have our very own apple tree, that is if I can keep it alive. I've got to get the workings to make a proper greenhouse area so that we can grow our own food. My home planet is on the other side of the verse so I'm sure I'll be with you all for a while."<br>"Where on the other side of the verse?"

"Almost too where the Reavers patrol. They leave my home planet alone because of what we did when I was still there. The day I disappeared, I had a history book on me. It told about what happened when the Reavers tried to attack. The second they entered our atmosphere, their ships exploded. Something to do with the fact that they have holes in their ships and some kind atmosphere shield that makes it so only friendlies can enter."

"Maybe you shouldn't have gotten on this ship then."  
>"Why not? Back on the moon, there was talk about the crew of a Firefly class ship that was almost all thieves and had one Companion on board. I'm going to presume that you are that Companion Inara and the rest of the crew are thieves. I don't much mind. It's a living if anything. I only wish I could show you that I really do mean no harm."<br>"You can start with putting that gun that you have in the small of your back under your coat away." _Captain Reynolds said walking in with Zoe, Jane and Wash. _  
>"How did you know it was there?"<br>"Same way I know about everything that comes onto my ship. I'm the captain. You can put the gun in your container that you brought on with you and Jane and I can move your container to your room, though there won't be much room once we do."  
>"I'll make it work and no need to help me move the container. The sled I have it on floats so all I have to do is activate the sled and move it that way. I also brought some medical supplies that I was able to smuggle from my captors' home. It ain't much but maybe you can use it Simon."<br>"Trying to butter us up already are you?"  
>"Is that a bad thing?"<p>

My question was left unanswered and I headed towards the cargo area to get my container to take to my room. There was no reason to tell them that I had more weapons then the one gun at the small of my back. I had a feeling a few of them used to be soldiers but didn't ask.


End file.
